The Escapist reports that community members in the town of Southington, Connecticut have put a bulls eye on violent video games in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting that saw 20 children and six adults murdered by a lone gunmen in mid-December. A community group calling themselves SouthingtonSOS announced a violent video game buyback program on January 12 in the town that will give gift certificates to citizens who turn in their violent interactive entertainment.

While the group does not emphatically blame videogames for the shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School they are certainly putting more of an emphasis on it as being a catalyst - even though they do mention that a culture of violence is abundant in media like videogames, movies and television. But the group certainly isn't asking anyone to turn in their violent DVDs and Blu-ray discs either...

"There is ample evidence that violent video games, along with violent media of all kinds, including TV and movies portraying story after story showing a continuous stream of violence and killing, has contributed to increasing aggressiveness, fear, anxiety," the group said in a statement to local news station WFSB. The spokesperson for the group said that this type of violent content "is desensitizing our children to acts of violence including bullying."

The buyback program has been promoted by the Southington Board of Education, which sent out emails to residents on behalf of the group to notify them of the event.

The more violent games out there; like Grand Theft Auto for example - still PALE in comparison to many movies. And no video game even comes close in 'graphic' violence to a movie like 'Saw' for instance.

There's more nudity on 'regular' TV now than on most video games and often, more violence as well.

"is desensitizing our children to acts of violence including bullying."

Whatever - I was bullied plenty in school; more than once - like any kid that got bullied, I would have liked to see those brats lying dead somewhere - but I'm not one who would REALLY want to kill someone over something like that.

And the only video games out there were Asteroids, Pitfall, and PacMan.

It's easy to blame a 'tool' or 'device' however. Much easier than looking at your own life and thinking about what kind of an example you are to your kids. I suspect that's 98% of the problem.

Theres less nudity in games as it still seems fairly taboo for the market..

much like how until recently we barely heard any cuss words or actual fowl language in most titles, let alone any form of "offensive" imagery outside of maybe a swastika or two.

While some older titles had it, they were often neglected and ignored, or had it in such tiny moderation... But all aside, yeah.. more violence/sex in modern television with open access to any house with a TV in it..

As for the bullying thing.. if we overprotect them now, how will they learn to deal with it in the future? Any form of criticism and these kids start bawling like infants nowadays... And the complete lack of work ethic thats connected to this.. oye..